llm-context.el

Copy Emacs context in a format useful to LLM coding tools.

M-x llm-context-copy copies a reference and optional source text. For temporary, non-file, non-web buffers it uses an emacs-context reference and adds a block describing the current Emacs state.

Installation

(use-package llm-context
  :ensure t
  :bind (("C-c y c" . llm-context-copy)))

Doom Emacs:

(package! llm-context
  :recipe (:host github :repo "unship/llm-context.el"))

Run doom sync after adding the package. Then restart the daemon.

Basic file buffers

Run M-x llm-context-copy with point on one line:

~/src/app.el:42

```emacs-lisp
(message "hello")
```

Select lines 10 through 14 to copy a range:

~/src/app.py:10-14

```python
def answer():
    return 42
```

Selections ending at the beginning of the next line exclude that next line. Selections longer than llm-context-max-lines (100 by default) omit the source block. Use C-u M-x llm-context-copy to force it back in.

Org-mode

Org buffers keep the normal file reference, but add the surrounding Org outline path so the copied line has document context. The line number after each headline is the headline’s actual line in the file, not a hierarchy ID. For this buffer:

1 * Project
2 ** Architecture
3 A design note.

Copying line 3 produces:

~/notes/design.org:3 — Project (lines 1-3) / Architecture (lines 2-3)

When point is inside an Org source block, the complete block is copied and its actual language is used for the Markdown fence. The current point line and headline definition lines remain separate. For example, with the source block beginning on line 3:

~/notes/design.org:3 — Project (lines 1-3) / Architecture (lines 2-3)

print(42)

Selecting a region in an Org buffer keeps the normal selection behavior. The reference still includes the surrounding headline path and its definition lines. The source-block behavior applies only when there is no active region; an over-limit source block is omitted unless a prefix argument is supplied.

Dired and Dirvish

With files marked, each path is copied on its own line:

~/src/app.el
~/src/lib/util.py

With no marks, the file at point is copied. If point is not on a file, the current directory is copied.

EWW

Without a region, EWW copies only the URL:

https://example.com/article

With text selected in the rendered page, it copies the URL and selected text:

https://example.com/article

```text
The selected paragraph from the page.
```

Magit

At a Magit hunk, it copies a unified diff and its source reference:

~/src/app.el (unstaged)

```diff
@@ -42,1 +42,1 @@
-old value
+new value
```

Staged and untracked files use (staged) and (untracked). A commit view includes SHA and subject:

~/src/app.el @ e63a038 — fix parser error

A range view uses:

~/src/app.el @ main..feature/parser

A diff longer than the configured limit is copied without its diff body. Use a prefix argument to include it.

Result buffers with source locations

Compilation, grep, xref, occur, and plain diff buffers use the source file and line when Emacs can resolve one:

~/src/parser.py:87

```python
raise ParseError(token)
```

If no source location is available, the command falls back to the result buffer’s emacs-context reference and its current line or selected region.

Help and documentation

help-mode and helpful-mode

These are temporary, non-file buffers, so the reference uses Emacs context. The symbol at point and its current line (or selection) are copied:

emacs-context:doom:*Help*

```text
Return the file name of the current buffer, or nil.
```

Info-mode

Info uses an Emacs context reference while preserving the current Info file and node in the buffer state:

emacs-context:doom:*info*

```text
Buffers are objects that hold text to be edited.
```

Man-mode and woman-mode

The manual page is a temporary buffer, so it uses Emacs context:

emacs-context:doom:*Man git-commit*

```text
git commit - Record changes to the repository
```

Shell and status buffers

shell-mode, eshell-mode, term-mode, and comint-mode use an emacs-context reference and copy the current command/output line or selected region:

emacs-context:doom:*shell*

```sh
git status --short
```

messages-buffer-mode, debugger-mode, and backtrace-mode use an emacs-context reference and copy the current line or selection:

emacs-context:doom:*Backtrace*

```text
  my-function(arg)
```

package-menu-mode, ibuffer-mode, tabulated-list-mode, vc-dir-mode, org-agenda-mode, and calendar-mode also use an emacs-context reference and copy the current row/entry or selected region:

emacs-context:doom:*Packages*

```text
U  magit   4.3.0   A Git porcelain inside Emacs
U  gptel   0.9.8   A large language model chat client
```

Emacs internal context

For a temporary, non-file, non-web buffer such as helpful-mode, the reference is an Emacs context instead of a fake buffer:line path. The daemon name is encoded directly in the reference:

emacs-context:doom:*Help*

```text
describe-variable: buffer-file-name
```

The daemon value comes from daemonp: it is the daemon name for a daemon client, and none for a regular Emacs process. No separate metadata block is added.

Configuration

(setq llm-context-max-lines 200)

License

GPL-3.0-or-later.